Latest Gear Live Videos
Unboxing Live 073: Sprint 4G MiFi WiMAX Mobile Hotspot
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Accessories, Cell Phones, Features, Videocasts
We give you a look at the Sprint MiFi 4G mobile hotspot in this episode of Unboxing Live. The MiFi connects to Sprint's and Clear's WiMAX 4G network, providing broadband speeds on the go. If you leave the 4G area, then it bumps down to standard 3G speed so that you can still stay connected. You can allow up to 5 devices access to the MiFi Wi-Fi network at once, which means you can use it to provide access for your phone, computer, and three other devices all at the same time.
Big thanks to our sponsor - GoToMeeting makes it easy to collaborate with anyone, anywhere - and they have just released their new HD faces feature that lets you see the webcams of up to 6 users as a time, which means you're collaborating face-to-face. Also, be sure and grab a free $5 credit from JackThreads now!
Digg ThisAdvertisement
Unboxing Live 072: Verizon 4G LTE MiFi Mobile Hotspot
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Accessories, Cell Phones, Features, Videocasts
We open up the Verizon 4G LTE MiFi hotspot in this episode of Unboxing Live. The MiFI is a portable Wi-Fi hotspot that connects to Verizon's vast 4G LTE network at speeds that meet, or in some cases, exceed, the typical home broadband speeds that we are all used to. You can connect up to five devices to the network that the MiFi creates, allowing you fast Internet access on the go, anywhere within Verizon's 4G footprint. Leave a 4G area, and the MiFi will drop down to 3G speeds, which is a nice backup, and not something that all current 4G hotspots offer. It also has a low power e-ink display to show the status of the connection and battery life, something Samsung's SCH-LC11 4G hotspot surprisingly left out.
Big thanks to our sponsor - GoToMeeting makes it easy to collaborate with anyone, anywhere - and they have just released their new HD faces feature that lets you see the webcams of up to 6 users as a time, which means you're collaborating face-to-face. Also, be sure and grab a free $5 credit from JackThreads now!
Bleeding Edge TV 382: Samsung 4G LTE SCH-LC11 mobile hotspot review
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Full Episodes, Gizmatic, Broadband, Features, Podcasts, Product Reviews, Videocasts, Videos, Wireless / WiFi
In this episode we review the Samsung SCH-LC11 4G LTE Mobile Hotspot. The SCH-LC11 is available from Verizon Wireless, and runs on their 4G LTE network, and also provides a fallback to 3G as well. You can connect up to 5 different devices (laptops, smartphones, and anything else that supports Wi-Fi) to it, all sharing the super-fast 4G connection. ; We also perform a speed test, showing the difference between 3G speeds on an iPhone, versus the iPhone connected to the 4G hotspot over Wi-Fi.
Big thank you to JackThreads for sponsoring the show - be sure to check them out, we've got exclusive invite codes that give you $5 to use towards anything you'd like.
Bleeding Edge TV 379: HTC Thunderbolt review
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Full Episodes, Gizmatic, Cell Phones, Features, Podcasts, Product Reviews, Videocasts, Videos
The HTC Thunderbolt is the world's first 4G LTE smartphone. It's available on Verizon Wireless in the US, and also acts as a 4G mobile hotspot, allowing you to connect up to 5 Wi-Fi devices to the 4G signal. It ships with Android 2.2, sports a 4.3-inch display, and even has a kickstand around back. In this video we give you a look at the Thunderbolt, perform a speed test, and also do a speed test comparison with an iPhone 4 on AT&T.
As you'll see, the device is ridiculously fast, especially when compared against an AT&T 3G smartphone like the iPhone 4. The screen looks great, and the phone feels good in your hand. If you're a Verizon Wireless customer, this is definitely one to consider, as long as you have a charger in the car and/or at the office, as this thing will eat through a battery like it's nothing. Check the video for the full scoop.
Big thank you to JackThreads for sponsoring the show - be sure to check them out, we've got exclusive invite codes that give you $5 to use towards anything you'd like.
Hands-on with the Sierra Overdrive Pro and booster dock
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Accessories, Broadband, Wireless / WiFi
Sierra Wireless has a secret weapon in the hotspot wars: a booster dock for its new Sprint 4G Overdrive Pro mobile hotspot that can truly send its WiMAX reception and speeds into overdrive. Ensconced in the dock, 4G WiMAX reception jumps by 50 percent, a Sierra product demonstrator in the company's booth told me.
The $99.99 (minus $50 rebate) Overdrive Pro is better in every way than the Overdrive hotspot it replaced. It's smaller. It boots up faster. It has a bigger LCD screen to show status information. The back is a grippy, soft-touch plastic rather than the greasy, slick black plastic of the last model. It has easily accessible dual external antenna ports.
And it has that dock. The dock isn't very portable; it's about the side of an iPod dock. It's really made for your desk. Sprint is the only wireless carrier to offer truly unlimited 4G plans, so one of the aims may be for a docked Overdrive to double as an alternative to a home Internet connection.
Pop the Overdrive into the dock, and it can charge, tether to a PC as a modem, and gets that 50 percent signal boost. The dock will be available sometime in May, Sierra reps at the booth said. They weren't clear on the price.
The Overdrive Pro goes up against the new Novatel Wireless MiFi 4082, which I've been using at the show. The MiFi is smaller and classier-looking than the Overdrive; I suspect it will have slightly longer battery life, too, but that's without any real evidence. The MiFi's e-ink indicators don't give you nearly as much information as the Overdrive's LCD display, though, and it doesn't have the dock option.
We'll test both products as soon as we can get hold of them.
Click to continue reading Hands-on with the Sierra Overdrive Pro and booster dock
Verizon iPhone can act at a Wi-Fi mobile hotspot for up to 5 devices
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Cell Phones, Handhelds, Wireless / WiFi
We mentioned this in the announcement post about the Verizon iPhone 4, but it's worth repeating. The Verizon iPhone, which was running iOS 4.2.5 at today's demo, includes a mobile hotspot feature. What this means is that you can enable a feature that would allow the iPhone to act a a mobile Wi-Fi hotspot, similar to a MiFi or other Android devices. When acting as a hotspot, you can connect up to five devices to the iPhone, taking advantage of its connection to the Verizon network. There were no details on what the feature would cost, or how much bandwidth would be allowed, but it's definitely nice to know that the feature is coming.
Droid Incredible picking up mobile hotspot and 720p recording via OTA update?
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Cameras, Cell Phones, Handhelds, Software, Wireless / WiFi
Looks like the HTC Droid Incredible is set to pick up a couple of oft-requested features by way of an over-the-air (OTA) software update. Droid Life is reporting that we can expect to see mobile hotspot functionality, 720p video recording, and even the addition of the red Droid eye bootup sequence (not that that one is a big deal.) No firm word on when the update will start being pushed to users, but we have an inquiry out to Verizon on that. Meantime, if you want a peek at the new HTC Incredible boot sequence, check the video after the break.
Read More 
| Droid Life
Bleeding Edge TV 345: Sprint 4G Case for iPad review
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Gizmatic, Short Bytes, Accessories, Features, Podcasts, Product Reviews, Videocasts, Videos, Wireless / WiFi
We give you a first look at the Sprint 4G Case for the iPad in this episode. Sprint, trying to capitalize on all the iPad buzz, and the fact that they are the first carrier in North America to offer 4G service, released this case as a method to push their Sprint Overdrive 4G mobile hotspot. You can get it free with purchase of an Overdrive device at Best Buy. You can also check out our written Sprint 4G Case review, along with the Sprint 4G iPad Case gallery.
Bleeding Edge TV 345: Sprint Overdrive 4G review
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Gizmatic, Short Bytes, Accessories, Features, Podcasts, Product Reviews, Videocasts, Videos, Wireless / WiFi
We’ve talked about the Sprint Overdrive 4G hotspot a bunch, including a look at a scenario where it saved us from the perils of AT&T in our Sprint Overdrive review. Well, in this episode, we review the Sprint Overdrive 4G mobile broadband hotspot, letting you know all the details on the device and what you can do with it. Seriously, this thing allows you to connect up to five devices (think iPhone, iPad, laptop, etc.) to Sprint’s 4G network at the same time in supported cities. The Overdrive will fall back to 3G if you leave a 4G area, still supporting up to five devices (albeit, a bit more slowly.) It’s a solid device, and it’s no wonder that Sprint’s trying to jump on the iPad bandwagon with the Overdrive.
Sprint details HTC EVO 4G mobile phone
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Cell Phones, Corporate News, Handhelds, Wireless / WiFi
Over at CTIA, Sprint just dropped the big announcement that we knew was coming, they will be launching the first 4G smartphone - the HTC EVO 4G - and they will be doing it “this summer.” The EVO 4G runs Android 2.1, and has a gorgeous 480x800 4.3-inch TFT LCD display and is powered by a 1GHz Snapdragon QSD8650 processor and 512MB of RAM. Onboard memory isn’t much to write home about at 1GB, but seriously, that is the only “flaw” we can find with the initial look at this device, if you want to even call it that. I mean, it ships with an 8GB microSD card, and is upgradeable to 32GB. Still, built-in is always nice.
Wanna talk about some of the more exciting stuff? Well, we’ve got an 8 megapixel camera on the back, which can shoot 720p HD video, as well as a 1.3 megapixel front facing camera. You know, the one we’ve been waiting for on the iPhone? Expect to be able to do video chatting on the EVO 4G. Also, expect to be able to view the content stored on it on a larger display, since this thing rocks HDMI out. 802.11b/g Wi-Fi support and an 8GB microSD card round things out, so as you can see, this thing is packed. Oh, and let’s not forget that whole 4G thing.
The HTC EVO 4G will be the first device outside of AT&T that will allow for both voice and data to be used at the same time, thanks to the phone running both EV-DO Rev. A and WiMAX alongside a CDMA antenna. Even cooler, in our opinion, is that this device acts similar to a MiFi or Overdrive device, where it becomes a mobile hotspot that allows you to share your 4G connection with your other devices wirelessly. However, rather than being limited to five connections, the EVO 4G can give that good 4G Internet lovin’ to 8 devices at once.
Sprint knows that those picking up a 4G device are going to expect a lot more from their connection their phones that are stuck on 3G, and they demo’d a few scenarios to show that they are serious. You can stream high definition content to and from the device, take pictures and stream them anywhere, get instant and live search results with Google Goggles, and much more.
Despite the torrent of info that Sprint provided as it pertained to the HTC EVO 4G, they did neglect to provide a solid release date, as well as the price of both the EVO 4G itself, or the associated 4G data plan.
Gallery: Sprint details HTC EVO 4G mobile phone
Follow Gear Live!
Recent Galleries
Facebook Fans
Featured Poll
Which is more important to you: Audio quality or video quality?
Thanks for voting in this poll.
Categories
Advertisement
Site Links
All About GearLive
GearLive Tools
Check out the Gear Live Tools that let you integrate Gear Live into your site and add Google features.
Advertise
GearLive Store
New! Get Gear Live hats, shirts, hoodies and more at the new Gear Live Store, coming soon.
© Gear Live Inc. – User-posted content, unless source is quoted, is licensed under a Creative Commons Public Domain License. Gear Live graphics, logos, designs, page headers, button icons, videos, articles, blogs, forums, scripts and other service names are the trademarks of Gear Live Inc.
